Handle for luggage, or the like



March 29, 1966 N. FRIEDLANbER 3,243,020

HANDLE FOR LUGGAGE, OR THE LIKE Filed April 28, 1965 Patented Mar. .29,1966 3,243,020 HANDLE FOR LUGGAGE, OR THE LIKE Nathan Friedlander, NewYork, N.Y., assignor to Travel Wise, Inc. Filed Apr. 28, 1965, Ser. No.451,412 13 Claims. (Cl. 190-57) The present invention relates to ahandle and, more particularly, to a handle especially adapted for useupon articles of luggage.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a handle, ofthe character described, which is of greatly simplified construction andmay, therefore, be produced in a minimum of time and with a minimum ofhand labor and, therefore, with relatively great economy.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a handle, ofthe character described, which is devoid of any sewn seams and is,therefore, without any protruding ridges that may and frequently docause discomfort and pain to the carrying hand.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a handle, ofthe character described, which is strong and durable and relatively easyto install.

It is 'a still further object of the present invention to provide ahandle, of the character described, which is of pleasing and ornamentalappearance.

Generally stated, the present invention relates to the type of handlethat is formed of an annulus formed of a strip of relatively rigidbendable material which is compressed along a diameter thereof to bringopposed portions of the annulus into juxtaposed position and 'held insuch position, leaving loops at each end that engage within cooperatingloops or ears secured on the article of luggage. Whereas heretofore thejuxtaposed portions of the handles have been held in place to form agrip, by a sleeve formed of a strip of pliable material Whoselongitudinal edges were sewn together in a manner to leave a protrudingridged seam, the present invention eliminates the sewing and theresulting ridge, and engages and holds the juxtaposed annulus portionsor grip by means of a plate formed of dead-bend material, which iscurved around the top and sides of the juxtaposed annulus portions andwhose marginal edge portions are re-entrantly bent and extended betweenthe juxtaposed annulus portions on the underside, to thereby provide agrip portion for the handle that has a continuous, relatively smooth,non-protruding and non-irritating surface.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of a handle embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the complete, assembled handle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view, showing the handle of FIG. 2as attached to an article of luggage; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 of a modified embodiment ofthe invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the accompanying drawings, and withparticular reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 thereof, the same show a handlecomprising an annular body, generally designated as 10, formed of arod-like, preferably bendable, rigid material. Such body may bepreformed in annulus shape or may be formed from a rod-like section ofstiff but bendable material whose ends may be secured or held inabutment, as illustrated at 14. A preferred material for the annularbody may comprise a section of thick-walled, preferably cylindricaltubing, formed of rubber or similar dense plastic material whose endsmay be fused together to form an annulus.

Diametrically opposed sections 16 of the annular body 10 may be broughttogether into juxtaposed position and held in such position by agrip-forming member, generally designated as 18, which may comprise asubstantially rectangular plate of sheet material having dead-bendcharacteristics, as of metal, such as sheet metal 20, which maypreferably be coated with a fabric 22 or similar coating which may matchin color and texture the surface of the article of luggage, or the like24 with which it is to be used. The plate 18 may have one of itsdimensions sufiiciently large to accommodate the palm of a hand to forma handle grip and its other dimension sufficiently large to wrap aroundthe juxtaposed sections 16 of the annulus 10 between the loops 26resulting on each side of sections 16 and to have marginal edge portions28 remaining which may be inwardly re-entrantly bent between thejuxtaposed sections 16, whereby the gripforming plate 18 holds suchjuxtaposed annulus sections fixedly in place and the latter is securelyheld in place over the annulus sections 16.

The handle of the invention may be secured in place upon the article ofluggage 24 or the like in the conventional manner, namely, by engagingloops 26 at each end thereof in ears or loops 36, secured, in anydesired manner, as by rivets or staples 38 to the article 24. It will beclear that the handle is secured in place with the space between themarginal portions 28 of plate 18 facing downwardly, so that when thegrip section 18 is engaged by the hand, the tendency will be to pushportions 28 inwardly, between annulus sections 16, so as to pushsections 16 more tightly together and inhibit their separation.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, instead of utilizing a plate, such as 18,the grip is formed instead by a section of tubing 40 which is of adiameter greater than required to accommodate the juxtaposed annulussections 16, through which the flattened annuli may be pressed to havethe end loops, such as 26, project from each end thereof. The tubingsection 40 may then be indented, by a suitable tool, at a point oppositethe space between annulus sections 16, so that the resulting fold 42 isextended between the annulus sections 16 to hold them tightly injuxtaposed relation and to form a handle grip. It may here be statedthat the tubing 40 may be of deadbend metal and may be coated withfabric or plastic material on the exterior, such as shown at 22, or itmay be formed of a thermoplastic material that may be heated andsoftened to form the fold 42 and then cooled to set rigidly into shape.It may here also be stated that, in the last form of grip tubing 40, theplastic material may be inherently formed in the desired color toeliminate the need for applying an exterior decorative layer.

This completes the description of the handle .of the present inventionand of the method by which it is formed. It will be readily apparentthat such handle is formed of easfly and economically prepared partswhich may be assembled in a single, rapid operation by means of arelatively simple apparatus, the nature of which will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art, which does not require skill or training in itsoperation. It will also be apparent that the handle of the presentinvention eliminates all sewing operations heretofore required for theformation of handles of the prior art. It will additionally be apparentthat the handle of the present invention affords maximum comfort to thehand and is of pleasing and attractive appearance.

It will be further apparent that numerous variations and modificationsmay be made in the handle of the present invention by anyone skilled inthe art, in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinaboveset forth, without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire,therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations andmodifications that may be made within LA the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. A handle for an article of luggage, or the like, comprising anannular strip of material having diametrically opposed sections thereofdisposed in juxtaposed relation; a plate of dead-bend material bentaround said juxtaposed sections of said annulus, said plate having endportions re-entrantly bent in juxtaposed relation and disposed betweensaid juxtaposed annulus sections.

2. A handle for an article of luggage, or the like, comprising a stripof material having its ends disposed in abutment to form an annulus,said annulus having its marginal end portions juxtaposed to adiametrically opposed section thereof, and a plate of dead-bend materialbent around said juxtaposed portions of said annulus, said plate havingmarginal edge portions re-entrantly bent in juxtaposed relation to oneanother and disposed between said juxtaposed sections of said annulus.

3. The handle of claim 2, wherein said strip of material is stifilybendable.

4. The handle of claim 2, wherein said stiffiy bendable materialcomprises a thick-walled tubing of resiliently flexible material.

5. The handle of claim 2, wherein said sheet of deadbend materialcomprises a sheet metal plate.

6. The handle of claim 5, wherein a coat of fabric is applied to theouter surface of said sheet metal plate.

7. The method for forming a handle for articles of luggage, or the like,of the character described, which comprises the steps of forming anannulus of stifily bendable material, pressing diametrically opposedsections of said annulus in juxtaposed relation, wrapping a plate ofdead-bend material around said juxtaposed sections, and bending marginaledge portions of said plate re-entrantly between said juxtaposed annulussections.

8. The method of claim '7, including the step of coating the exteriorsurface of said plate with a layer of decorative fabric.

9. The method for forming a handle for an article of luggage, or thelike, which comprises the steps of bending a strip of stilTly-bendablematerial to bring its ends into abutment with one another to form anannulus, pressing the marginal end portions of said bent strip against adiametrically opposed section of said annulus, wrapping the plate ofdead-bend material around said juxtaposed sections, and bending marginaledge portions of said plate re-entrantly between said juxtaposed annulussections.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said strip of material comprises athick-walled tube of resiliently flexible material, and including thestep of sewing said ends to one another in abutting relation.

11. A handle for an article of luggage, or the like, comprising a stripof material arranged in annulus shape, said annulus having diametricallyopposed sections thereof disposed in juxtaposed relation to one another,and a flat-surfaced rigid member wrapped around said juxtaposed annulussections, said member having portions thereor" re-entrantly bent anddisposed between said juxtaposed annulus sections.

12. The handle of claim 11, wherein said rigid member comprises a plateand said re-entrantly bent portions comprise marginal portions ofopposed edges of said plate.

13. The handle of claim 11, wherein said rigid member comprises a tubeand wherein said re-entrantly bent portions comprise an axiallyextending indentation formed in said tube opposite the space betweensaid juxtaposed annulus sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 971,876 10/1910Apple 190-57 X FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A HANDLE FOR AN ARTICLE OF LUGGAGE, OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING ANANNULAR STRIP OF MATERIAL HAVING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSTE SECTIONS THEREOFDISPOSED IN JUXTAPOSED RELATION; A PLATE OF DEAD-BEND MATERIAL BENTAROUND SAID JUXTAPOSED SECTIONS OF SAID ANNULUS, SAID PLATE HAVING ENDPORTIONS RE-ENTRANTLY BENT IN JUXTAPOSED RELATION AND DISPOSED BETWEENSAID JUXTAPOSED ANNULUS SECTIONS.